Build Credibility, Engagement, and Sales with Authority Hubs – Part 2

In part 1 we looked at what authority hubs are, and why they’re important. Now let’s look at how can you use them to build trust, credibility, engagement, and sales for your book or business without spending a small fortune.

Firstly, decide what your chosen topic is. This is something you want to become known for. Make sure it’s something you enjoy and are passionate about.

Maximize Your Writing

The next step is to start sharing your written information consistently across a few of the authority hubs. For example, you might write a blog post on your website. You can then share that same post on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Google+, or any other social media platform you’re on. WordPress makes it very easy to do this. Hootsuite is another option with free and paid versions.

Ideally these will all link back to your website. To do this, use the page address of that post, e.g. www.leoniehope.com/build-credibility-engagement-and-sales-with-authority-hubs-part-2. If you’re using WordPress, it will automatically do this for you (although you may need a plugin like Jetpack though).

You can shorten the link using something like Bitly. This also allows you to customize the name and track the number of clicks you get. For example http://bit.ly/authorityhubs2. WordPress also has a short link function, although it can’t be customized the same way.

Another option is to use the blog post to create a short powerpoint presentation, which you can then share on SlideShare.

Add in the Visual Elements

Now you’ve taken care of the written components, it’s time for the visual side. Maybe you have a quote or an image (or can create one) you can share on Pinterest and Instagram, which links back to your website.

My preference is Canva for quotes or images, but Recite is another great free website to help you create quotes. Both allow you to choose different backgrounds to suit.

Need an image? Pixabay has millions of images you can use for free. Many are even available freely for commercial use on websites, books, and merchandise (refer to each image for specific details and conditions).

Another visual option is an infographic, which can also be shared on your social media platforms. An infographic is a graphic visual representation of information presented in a quick, simplified, easy to understand way. Canva can help with this too. Piktochart is another free tool I have used, although the free version has limited options.

If you wanted to, you could also create a short video to post on Facebook and YouTube. The easiest way to do this is with a powerpoint presentation (like the one your create for Slideshare). Recording a video on Google Hangouts would also work too, as would using an existing one from Pixabay.

You could then take the audio of this video and turn it into a podcast to share on iTunes or Google Play (this option isn’t available in all countries).

So far, that’s eleven authority hubs covered, all this from the one piece of information – your original blog post. It required no extra cost, only the time and effort to create them – unless you prefer to outsource it. This could be done cost-effectively using Fiverr.

Amazon and Beyond

Your Amazon author page allows you to link to your website blog feed. These are the posts on your website (such as this one). You will need to use a web feed management tool to do this. I use Feedburner, which is a free Google tool.

You can see how powerful this could be if you can get it right. But it all starts with one piece of information. Then just write and repeat.

If you followed this process, imagine what it could do for your book or product sales. Sharing one bit of information across multiple platforms, in various formats. It allows you to reach your ideal audience wherever they are, however they like to consume information.

Google will start to see you as an authority on your chosen topic, and so rank you higher, and you don’t have to pay a cent for it. Ideally, you want everything to lead back or link to one source – I recommend you make it your website, although it could also be a Facebook page.

Not only does your visibility, exposure and engagement increase, but you’re also building a solid body of work. You get to practice writing in public, which makes you a better writer, and helps prepare you to write and launch your book.

Avoid the Overwhelm

If this all sounds too overwhelming, don’t worry. You don’t need to do all this at once. In fact, I recommend you don’t. Start with writing and publishing your blog post. Then share it on whatever social media sites you’re already on. You can add in other formats and authority hubs later as time permits. Remember, people aren’t looking for perfect, they’re looking for real and authentic.

The benefit is you’ll always have information to draw from when you’re looking to create something new. People love accessing the same information in different formats to suit where they are and what they’re doing (video, audio, written post, etc.).

Everyone learns and takes in information differently. You won’t know what that is for each person in your audience. By providing multiple formats, you’re covering all bases. It also means you’re consistently sharing the same message no matter what platform you’re on.

Grow Your List with Authority Hubs

You might be thinking that’s great, but how can it help me grow my list? A fair question. Sales are excellent, but why put in all that effort if you can’t capture the people chasing your information to communicate directly with?

The solution is simple. Refer people back to an opt-in on your website you can mention in everything you create and share. Something like “For more information and free resources, please visit www.yourwebsite.com/opt-inPage.”

Your website will be the one place where all your information in all available formats can be found. Chances are your audience isn’t going to be on every authority hub you’re sharing it on, or may not know it’s there. If they find what you’re offering valuable, they’ll want more. By giving them access after they opt-in, you’re solving that problem and also saving them the time of looking for it themselves.

This is what I plan to be doing as I continue to grow and expand on my writing journey. How will you use it on yours? Are there any other authority hubs you’ve discovered that haven’t been mentioned? Feel free to share in the comments below.